OPS Weekly Newsletter 8 November 2026
- For Mathew’s talk this Tuesday – ‘Iconic photographs that would bomb in club photo competitions’ – please upload your three ‘favourite failures’ that the judge rejected. You will have lots to choose from… Upload here: https://photocomp.app/
- We have a ‘Talks Portal’ – fancy name for a spreadsheet – where members can add the names and contact details of speakers that they would like to be included in the programme. If you have any recommendations please add them here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Vygkbg7dUF2e0dqF8PfPyfT1caZrnWJB5EEG9bBrTjs/edit?tab=t.0
- Last meeting held on Tuesday 3 November 27 October: Workshop: Creative Portrait Photography: Thinking Outside The Box with Kieran Hunt
Kieran explained that the aim of the evening was to develop our awareness about creative portrait photography, enhancing our confidence and skills with experimentation and creative approaches to capturing portraits in new ways.
To start the ‘creativity’ he first of all gave us a pen and a small piece of paper and asked us to put nice dots in three rows, across and down. He then asked us to draw four lines, without taking the pen off the paper, that went through the full nine dots.
After several failed attempts we all gave up. Kieran then showed how it could be done. If you drew the first line beyond the ‘box’ the dots implied and the second one down diagonally and also beyond the confines of the dots, then it was easy to complete the next two lines. This was an excellent example of cliche ‘thinking outside the box’.
For the evening we would need to think beyond convention, experiment and be playful with our photography.
The first part of the evening tasks was:
- subject movement or intentional camera movement
- exploring handheld light sources and lighting gels
and Kieran showed some of his work on this and then in small groups we worked together to create a range of portrait images exploring the creative approaches of subject movement, ICM, handheld lights and lighting gels.
Members got into groups and began shooting, waving lights around and being shot.
After the break the next creative task was shooting through objects and materials (glassware, tubes, prisms etc) and again in small groups we got together to create a further range of portrait images.
It was an excellent meeting, thoroughly enjoyable and no one was castigated for a blown out highlight or breaking the rule of thirds…
- Next meeting Tuesday 3 November:
During the first half of the evening Mathew will take a light-hearted examination of well-known iconic photography from over a dozen photographers in the last 100 years that would never win a club print or digital image competition (based on reasons given by judges during previous competitions). We consider the themes that emerge as to why images are excluded or score poorly, and ask: What makes a good photograph?
MEMBER’S FAVOURITE FAILURES
The second half of the evening will be your opportunity to bring one or two images you love that bombed in competition. Mathew and the group will explore what works, what the judge may have missed, and why photography isn’t just about the score.
- Upcoming meetings
17 November: Wildlife Photography – How Hard Can It Be? Helen Webb
24 November: Getting Close: An Evening of OM System Macro Photography in association with London Camera Exchange
1 December: Strictly Nature: The Wonders of British Wildlife
Join professional wildlife photographer Simon Booker for an immersive journey into the extraordinary world of British wildlife, much of it found surprisingly close to home.
8 December: Digital Competition No 2. Our judge is Damon Guy
- Photographic events in and around Oxford
Thames Estuaries
Photographs by Bruno Guastalla and Paul Medley
The result of a series of investigations of the Thames Estuary
in 2025 and 2026. We have been following the Thames Path
downstream from central London, from Purfleet to Canvey
Island and Gravesend to the Isle of Grain, gathering images of
an environment that for many centuries has been critical for
both trade and defence.
Opening hours: 11 – 6 daily
Opening party: Friday 20th. 6 – 8
19-25 November
Magdalen Road Studios
74 Magdalen Rd
Oxford
OX4 1RE
Martin Parr: Oxford Bodleian Libraries
Martin Parr (1952–2025) was one of the most influential photographers of the past 50 years, transforming the medium through his distinctive vision and commitment to photography. This small display celebrates his legacy as photographer, collaborator and champion of photographic books. (Exhibition end date TBC.)
Weston Library
Broad Street
Oxford
Colonial Views of India: Photographs by Eugene Clutterbuck Impey
This free photographic exhibition in G29 offers a rare glimpse of late 19th century India. Ends 26 October. Ashmolean Museum, Beaumont Street, Oxford OX1 2PH
- Photographic events further afield
Light and Magic: The Birth of Art Photography
Light and Magic is the first major exhibition to explore pictorialism as a global movement. Discover how artists became pioneers of the darkroom, transforming our understanding of photography and image making.
Tate Modern
Bankside
London SE1 9TG
14 October 2026 – 21 February 2027
10.00–18.00 Sunday to Thursday
10.00–21.00 Fridays and Saturdays
See Guardian review here
The 13 best new photography exhibitions in London to have on your radar
From striking documentary work to powerful portraits, explore life through a lens with these new shows
https://theglossarymagazine.com/arts-culture/best-photography-exhibitions-london-2026/
See full list of exhibitions here: https://amateurphotographer.com/latest/articles/best-photography-exhibitions-to-see/
- General photographic interest
‘I’m a vulnerable guy who’s just figuring sh*t out’ – the first Black male photographer to shoot a Vogue cover speaks out
Misan Harriman came to prominence when he was commissioned by Vogue to shoot their September 2020 cover entitled ACTIVISM NOW which caused quite a stir despite appearing in those Covid ravaged days. As his fame grew, he became a target for sections of the right-wing press because of his challenging opinions and the way he conducted his activism through the camera lens. Paul Hill met up with Misan to find out how and why he uses photography and social media to shine a light on causes he is passionate about.
18 magnificent big and wild cats show the beauty and power of nature’s majestic predators
Entries to the Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition are always a stunning collection of life in our natural world. Here, I take a look at some of the cats that have been submitted, and even won awards, over recent years. From lions and leopards to smaller cats like lynx, the photographs encapsulate their majestic, playful, and powerful characteristics through a range of behaviours and striking portraits, plus the issues they face in important photojournalist stories.
‘Some photos imprint upon us’: How our Saturday magazine puts together special issues about world-changing photographs
A great picture can have an immediate and visceral effect on a viewer, as if bypassing thought. But a huge amount of thinking goes into selecting and sourcing them, and researching their backstories
https://www.theguardian.com/membership/2026/nov/01/special-features-about-world-changing-photographs
Send in the clowns! Dreamlike images – in pictures
Nicolas Rachline’s stunning book Elsebound is full of painterly photographs inspired by Edward Hopper and Blade Runner. He explains his uniquely haunting style
Autumn colours and ghostly mist – readers’ best photographs
Click here to submit a picture for publication in these online galleries and/or on the Guardian letters page